Life-saving apparatus.



No. 800,927. PATBNTED OCT. 3, 1905.

' P. MAHONY.

LIFE SAVING. APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-10, 1904.

UNITED STATES PETER MAHONY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LIFE-SAVING APPARATUS- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1905.

Application filed December 10, 1904:. Serial No. 236,310.

To ctZZ whom, it rmty concern.-

Be it known that 1, PETER MAI-101W, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at New York city, borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Saving Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention refers to improvements in life-saving apparatus shown and described in my application for life-saving apparatus, Serial No. 209,635, filed May 25, 190&, but not specifically claimed therein. It is intended for use on board of ships and vessels wrecked on a lee shore, whereby the crew is enabled to establish communication with the shore in a quick, efiective, and reliable manner.

The nature of my invention will best be understood when described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the kite and appurtenances flown from the vessel. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the reeling mechanism. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 2 2, Fig. 2, illustrating the reeling mechanism. Figs. 1, 5, 6 are detail views of the several appurtenances.

Similar letters and numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views Referring now to Fig. 1 of the the drawings, the letter K designates a kite of any approved construction having sufiicient drawing and lifting powers.

L is the kite-line attached to the kite as usual and by which the kite is flown. This line is accurately measured and marked at every one hundred feet or less, so that when the line has reached the shore the distance from shore to ship will be accurately known on board the ship and subsequently communicated to the shore. R, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, is a reeling device comprising a box (0, having therein the frames 1) and c, the frame 6 being hinged to the inside of the box, as at 15, and the frame 0 being hinged to the former frame at its top, as at 16. The lower end of the frame 0 is adapted to be secured to the sides of the box by studs 17 or the like. If the end of the frame 0 be disconnected from the sides of tilt. box, the frame 0 can be turned inwardly about the pivot 16 and both frames folded into the box for storing away or for transportation. All the various parts of the life-saving apparatus except the kite are stored in this box when not in use. When the apparatus is to be used, the box is screwed or nailed to the deck and the frames raised, the frame 0 being made fast to the sides of the box. In these frames are mounted reels 1, 5, and 6, upon which are wound the several lines used. The frames may be constructed so that the reels can be temporarily inserted, or the reels may be permanently placed in the frames. Between the reels 1 and 5 and sesured to the opposite sides of the frame 5 is located a bar or rod 18, which serves as an abutment for a lever or stick used by the sailor to brake the reel 4 when necessary. Z, Fig. 1, is a trip-line attached to the extreme lower point on the frame of the kite K and carried by kite-line L. This line is reeled on the lower reel 5 of the reeling device R. S is a lantern to be used at night and may be attached to the kite-line L, as shown in Fig. 1.

It must be borne in mind that whenever my life-saving apparatus is called into use the ship will invariably be listed to or from the shore, the deck on an incline, the wind blowing with terrific force, and the crew experiencing great difliculty in moving about or doing anything necessary to be done on deck. This makes it necessary to provide means to enable the crew to successfully launch the kite and prevent its being smashed or wrecked against the vessel or its rigging. To this end I provide the following means, reference being had to Fig. 1: The kite having been dismounted for packing and storage purposes is properly assembled in the cabin or in the most available place sheltered from the wind. The kite being in position on the shore side of the ship, the end of the kite-line on reel 1 of the reeling device R, (which latter has been made fast to the deck,) together with a pulley or tail block 1, having a tail-strap attached, Figs. 1 and 1, are carried up the rigging, provided it be standing. The pulley or tail block 1 is then fastened to the rigging, the end of the kite line rove through the pulley, carried down on deck, and fastened to the place on the kite provided for the same. The trip-line Zis then attached to the extreme lower point of the kite or the extreme top, or either side thereof, and about ten feet of the line drawn from the reel 5. A short cord 7 about three feet long and of about one half the breaking strength of the trip-line Z is then attached to the said trip-line at about ten feet from the end secured to the bottom of the kite K. The other end of the short cord 7 is then secured to the kite-line L about four feet from the face of the kite K. The purpose of this short cord is to carry the pull or drag of the tripline Z from the reel5withoutpullingor straining at the bottom of the kite while in its flight toward the shore. The kite now beingin position, the officer in charge gives the word, when the men holding the kite lifts it above the rail and the men stationed at the kite-line L haul on the same and then pay it outas the wind blows the kite clear of the ship and up until it flies steady and strong, the trip-line being paid out from the reel 5 at the same time as the kite-line L is paid out from the reel 4:. \Vhen the kite has flown off about three hundred and fifty feet, the trip-linel still being kept slack is brought up to and suspended from the kite-line L by means of an open hank 8, Figs. 1 and 6, which is hooked into the loop of the stirrup-cord. The kite is then permitted to fly off, still keeping the trip-line Z slack. At about every three hundred and fifty feet the trip-linelis suspended from the kite-line L by means of a hank 8 until it has reached the desired position over the land. The trip-lineZ is then held fast aboard ship and the kite-line L slacked off or paid out until the trip-line running through the hanks becomes taut. The strain is thus transferred to the small connecting-line 7, which breaks, and the strain or pull of the kite being then transferred to the trip-line l, secured to the bottom of the kite, will cause the kite K to trip and fall to the ground. Communication is thus established with the shore, and according to instructions attached to the kite a heavier line may be hauled to the shore. This heavier line is wound upon a reel 6, which is temporarily inserted into bearings in the reel-box R. A life-line or hawser and a whip can be hauled by this line from the shore to the ship or from the ship to the shore, as circumstances direct.

By practical experiments made by me in a gale of wind a kite has actually been made to fly ofl and drop to the ground when desired at one thousand and fifty measured feet from the kite to the reel in ten minutes from the time I released the kite on its flight.

That I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a life-saving apparatus, the combination of a kite or other aerial device, a kite-line attached to the kite and a second or trip line adapted in conjunction with the kite-line to lower the kite.

2. In a life-saving apparatus, the combination of a kite or other aerial device, a kite-line connected to the kite, a second or trip line attached to the kite for the purpose of tripping or throwing the kite both lines being controlled from the ship and adapted in conjunction with each other to lower the kite when desired.

3. In a life-saving apparatus, the combination of a kite, a kite-line connected thereto, a reel-box containing a folding reel-frame carrying reels, upon one of which is wound the said kite-line, asecond or trip line attached to the kite and carried by said kite and wound upon a reel in said reel-box, and a cord connecting said kite-line and said trip-line to each hanks upon said kite-line for carrying said trip-line.

5. In a life-saving apparatus, the combination of a kite, a kite-line attached thereto, a block secured to the rigging through which block the kite-line is rove, a second or trip line carried by said kite-line and attached to the bottom of the kite, a cord of lower breaking strength than the two said lines and connecting them to each other near the kite whereby the cord is snapped and the kite tripped and thrown to the ground when the trip-line is held back.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this th day of November, 1904:.

PETE R MAHONY.

\Vitnesses:

FREDK. F. SoHUn'rz, RAENA H. YUDIZKY. 

